boylit
October 28th, 2003, 01:14 AM
Bought myself a Zeus 508 today and got to use it for my first ride. Here are my impressions.
Helmet Details:
Manufacturer: Zeus
Model: 508
Type: Full face with lift up chin protector
Size: Large
Color: Red
Visor: Clear
Vents: 3 (2 at the top and 1 on the chinguard)
Seller: Action Hobbies
Fit:
Fits my head pretty well. Kinda snug in the cheek area but overall I would say it's a very nice fit.
I can easily put the helmet on and off without lifting the chinguard.
Ventilation:
Again, pretty ok. The visor gets misty at stops but that's easily fixed by just opening it. The front vent clears out any misting and prevents it quite well too. The top vents seem small but kept my head pretty cool. During long stoplight waits, flipping the chinguard makes for a tolerable wait.
Chinguard Lifting:
As I said previously, lifting the chinguard at stops makes for comfortable idling. It's a one-button system that works fine for me and had me flipping the chinguard up whenever I feel the stop is going to be a bit long.
I rode up to around 60 kph with the chinguard up and it's still pretty comfortable.
Pushing the chinguard down is also quick and easy. Just push down and it locks into place with nary a hitch.
Smokers rejoice! With the chinguard up, you can now smoke in without the inconvenience of having to remove your helmet. I suggest, though, that you pop in a mint before you drop the chinguard back into place.
On the Road:
This helmet feels great, at about 120-130 kph it doesn't feel like it's going to lift off my head and cuts the wind pretty nicely. The plastic may seem flimsy (thin) when you first look at it but feels stable at any speed.
Notice I said "feels great" not sounds great. That's because at anything over 100 kph the wind noise gets REAL LOUD. I couldn't even hear my engine which was going at a pretty high rev owing to the fact that I was in a lower gear.
Finish:
The helmet's finish is a bit rough and will definitely be noticed by nitpickers. Some plastic parts were not trimmed cleanly with a bit of stem protruding where the plastic was trimmed. Never really bothered me on the road and I just noticed them because I'm looking the helmet over for this review. There seems to be some color streaks on the visor which, again, are not noticeable except when looking the helmet over like I'm doing now. The vent doors are cheap sliders which give no tactile feedback when you use them.
Other features:
The lining is removable and washable. A big plus considering the climate here (sweaty foreheads and all).
The chinstrap uses a double D locking system which, while harder to work, makes me feel a little more secure that the helmet will stay in place no matter what.
The visor has 3 levels of lift which makes it easy to find a comfortable ventilation level when the temperature gets a bit high.
There seems to be ample space in the earwells of the helmet as well as the chinguard to house a comm system. When Clariza starts riding Hiroki and Shiela is up and running, we're planning to get a set. I'll give you a review.
Conclusion:
Overall, I like the Zeus 508. It has the features I want and is DOT certified to boot. I don't think this thing will ever get SNELL certified because of the chinguard lift feature. I don't really ride fast so the noise issue shouldn't be too much of a bother. I'll keep you guys posted if I have a change of heart on that one.
Considering my bike is black, I kinda like that the helmet is bright bright red. Easy to see! A friend of mine backrode with Bragster and borrowed my helmet for the ride. It was fairly easy to spot even at a distance!
I would recommend this helmet to anyone looking for a convertible helmet at any price. At it's current price of PhP 3k, I don't think there's a current helmet in the same category that offers the bang for buck!
Helmet Details:
Manufacturer: Zeus
Model: 508
Type: Full face with lift up chin protector
Size: Large
Color: Red
Visor: Clear
Vents: 3 (2 at the top and 1 on the chinguard)
Seller: Action Hobbies
Fit:
Fits my head pretty well. Kinda snug in the cheek area but overall I would say it's a very nice fit.
I can easily put the helmet on and off without lifting the chinguard.
Ventilation:
Again, pretty ok. The visor gets misty at stops but that's easily fixed by just opening it. The front vent clears out any misting and prevents it quite well too. The top vents seem small but kept my head pretty cool. During long stoplight waits, flipping the chinguard makes for a tolerable wait.
Chinguard Lifting:
As I said previously, lifting the chinguard at stops makes for comfortable idling. It's a one-button system that works fine for me and had me flipping the chinguard up whenever I feel the stop is going to be a bit long.
I rode up to around 60 kph with the chinguard up and it's still pretty comfortable.
Pushing the chinguard down is also quick and easy. Just push down and it locks into place with nary a hitch.
Smokers rejoice! With the chinguard up, you can now smoke in without the inconvenience of having to remove your helmet. I suggest, though, that you pop in a mint before you drop the chinguard back into place.
On the Road:
This helmet feels great, at about 120-130 kph it doesn't feel like it's going to lift off my head and cuts the wind pretty nicely. The plastic may seem flimsy (thin) when you first look at it but feels stable at any speed.
Notice I said "feels great" not sounds great. That's because at anything over 100 kph the wind noise gets REAL LOUD. I couldn't even hear my engine which was going at a pretty high rev owing to the fact that I was in a lower gear.
Finish:
The helmet's finish is a bit rough and will definitely be noticed by nitpickers. Some plastic parts were not trimmed cleanly with a bit of stem protruding where the plastic was trimmed. Never really bothered me on the road and I just noticed them because I'm looking the helmet over for this review. There seems to be some color streaks on the visor which, again, are not noticeable except when looking the helmet over like I'm doing now. The vent doors are cheap sliders which give no tactile feedback when you use them.
Other features:
The lining is removable and washable. A big plus considering the climate here (sweaty foreheads and all).
The chinstrap uses a double D locking system which, while harder to work, makes me feel a little more secure that the helmet will stay in place no matter what.
The visor has 3 levels of lift which makes it easy to find a comfortable ventilation level when the temperature gets a bit high.
There seems to be ample space in the earwells of the helmet as well as the chinguard to house a comm system. When Clariza starts riding Hiroki and Shiela is up and running, we're planning to get a set. I'll give you a review.
Conclusion:
Overall, I like the Zeus 508. It has the features I want and is DOT certified to boot. I don't think this thing will ever get SNELL certified because of the chinguard lift feature. I don't really ride fast so the noise issue shouldn't be too much of a bother. I'll keep you guys posted if I have a change of heart on that one.
Considering my bike is black, I kinda like that the helmet is bright bright red. Easy to see! A friend of mine backrode with Bragster and borrowed my helmet for the ride. It was fairly easy to spot even at a distance!
I would recommend this helmet to anyone looking for a convertible helmet at any price. At it's current price of PhP 3k, I don't think there's a current helmet in the same category that offers the bang for buck!